Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday strongly defended her mother, Sonia Gandhi’s newly released memoir, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party and RSS of spreading lies and fabricating stories about her for years, and said she was happy that the BJP was now reading her book.

Speaking to reporters during her visit to her Wayanad constituency, Priyanka Gandhi said her mother had remained silent for most of her adult life in India despite being subjected to sustained criticism and allegations by the BJP, RSS and others.

“For the whole of my mother’s adult life in India, the BJP, RSS and many others have said whatever they wanted about my mother. They have lied, they have fabricated stories and also invented stories about her, and she has been quiet. Now, she is telling her story, and she has the right to do so. It is good that they are ready to read it. For so long, they (BJP) have been telling lies about my mother, and now she is telling the truth. I am happy they are reading her book,” she said.

This was Priyanka Gandhi’s first visit to Wayanad after the release of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, on November 10.

The book, which chronicles Sonia Gandhi’s personal journey and her years in Indian politics, has triggered a political exchange between the Congress and the BJP.

The BJP has criticised the memoir, accusing Sonia Gandhi of attempting to whitewash controversial chapters of the Congress party’s history, including the Emergency and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Congress, however, has defended her right to present her own account of events.

Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks came during a three-day visit to Wayanad, where she is scheduled to inaugurate development projects and review ongoing works in her constituency.

On Thursday, she visited the family of the late Padma Shri awardee and traditional seed conservationist Cheruvayal Raman in Mananthavady.

She was also scheduled to inaugurate two Smart Anganwadis at Kammana and Thrissillery.

Priyanka Gandhi represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, having won the constituency in the 2024 by-election after her brother Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat to retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

In a significant political outreach aimed at strengthening ties with the farming community ahead of future electoral battles, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting with prominent farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and discussed a wide range of issues affecting cultivators across Uttar Pradesh.

Following the meeting on late Wednesday evening, Yadav shared a detailed message on social media, asserting that farmers remain the most distressed section of society and deserve both dignity and fair compensation for their labour.

In his post on social media platform X, Akhilesh Yadav said that greenery should not merely symbolise prosperity, but that prosperity itself must reach every household, courtyard and village.

He stressed that such an objective can only be achieved when farmers, agriculture and rural communities receive due respect and adequate value for their hard work.

According to Yadav, his discussion with Tikait revealed that farmers across Uttar Pradesh continue to face serious challenges.

Referring to the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) social justice plank, Akhilesh Yadav remarked that those who are suffering are part of the PDA and added that the letter “A” in PDA also stands for “Annadata”, meaning farmers who feed the nation.

The statement is being viewed as an attempt by the Samajwadi Party to expand the PDA narrative by placing farmers at its core.

Yadav claimed that growing support from the farming community would help ensure the success of the PDA in every village and at every polling booth.

The meeting comes at a time when farmer-related issues continue to dominate public discourse in Uttar Pradesh.

Farmer organisations led by Tikait have repeatedly raised concerns over minimum support prices (MSP), pending sugarcane dues, crop losses and procurement-related issues.

In recent months, Tikait has also participated in protests and agitations demanding better returns and policy support for cultivators.

Reiterating the importance of agriculture to the nation’s economic and social well-being, Akhilesh Yadav said, “When the fields smile, the nation will smile.”

He said that villages and the country can prosper only when ‘annadatas’ (farmers) are prosperous.

The struggle for farmers’ dignity, rights and fair remuneration, he added, forms the real strength of the PDA movement.

At least one person was killed and 10 others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in New York City’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, authorities said.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, officials confirmed. Four people were taken to hospital in critical condition, while six others sustained minor injuries, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).

The FDNY said it received reports of people being trapped at around 4:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday after the building collapsed on the edge of a construction site in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn.

Videos from the scene showed firefighters digging through the rubble and pulling at least one person out of the debris.

Firefighters continued their search for another person believed to be trapped beneath the rubble and remained in communication with them as rescue operations progressed.

Several injured construction workers were taken to Kings County Hospital for treatment, although their medical conditions were not immediately known. Search and rescue operations were still underway following the collapse.

According to reports citing FDNY radio communications, at least 10 other people were injured in the incident.

Emergency response teams rushed to the site following reports of a partial building collapse at an apartment building in Brooklyn, with people feared trapped inside, according to FDNY officials.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) urged residents and commuters to stay away from the area around Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue following the incident.

In a post on X, the NYPD warned that road closures and traffic delays were expected in the area and advised motorists to use alternate routes to avoid disruption and allow emergency personnel to carry out rescue operations.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences to the family of the person who lost their life in the building collapse. In a post on X, she said, “My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani also commented on the incident, saying that emergency responders were working to secure the site and assist those affected by the collapse.

In his post on X, Mamdani said, “Flatbush Avenue is closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue – please avoid the area so rescue crews can work.”

He further said that the city would provide additional information once officials were in a position to confirm the details of the incident.

Further details are awaited.